Existing methods of validating information and identity and maintaining information and identity security have numerous weaknesses. For instance, the leaking of private user information, such as a social security number (SSN) or credit card number, makes it possible for malefactors to imitate another person and to perform unauthorized transactions on their behalf. Security breaches resulting in leaks of this type of information have become commonplace with large retailers.
Identity verification is often overly reliant on communication networks that are unreliable. When the network goes down or has insufficient connectivity, transaction systems can be completely inhibited causing loss of funds in a retail context and causing tremendous delays in other transactions. Information verification is also often reliant upon physical documents that can be counterfeited. Identity verification is often reliant on mere knowledge of personal information, especially in scenarios where the person is not present to prove identity, such as phone calls or online.
Attempts to use personally identifiable information (PII) are inconsistently protected by vendors. For example, attempts to use a person's SSN to apply for new credit are often reported to that person only after a credit inquiry has been performed. As a result, in the case of a fraudulent use of a SSN, victims are often informed after some or all of the damage has occurred, if they are informed at all.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved devices, systems, and methods for protecting the use of user identity and for securely providing personal information.